Tapirus polkensis

Tapirus polkensis; Temporal range: Late Miocene–Early Pliocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	Fossil replicas on display at the Gray Fossil Site & Museum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Perissodactyla
Family:	Tapiridae
Genus:	Tapirus
Species:	†T. polkensis
Binomial name
	†Tapirus polkensis; Olsen, 1960

Tapirus polkensis, the pygmy tapir, is a small prehistoric tapir that lived in North America during the late Miocene and early Pliocene.^[1] T. polkensis had an estimated mass of around 125 kg (276 lb),^[1] making it smaller than any extant tapir.

The Gray Fossil Site in northeast Tennessee is home to the world's largest known fossil assemblage of T. polkensis.

Palaeoecology

Analysis of its tooth enamel δ¹³C values reveals T. polkensis to have been a forest-dwelling browser.^[2] Finite element analysis (FEA) of the skull of T. polkensis suggests that it was strong enough to engage in hard-object feeding during unilateral biting but not bilateral biting, although dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) indicates that this species was predominantly folivorous and seldom ate hard objects.^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b Richard C. Hulbert Jr.; Steven C. Wallace; Walter E. Klippel & Paul W. Parmalee (2009). "Cranial morphology and systematics of an extraordinary sample of the Late Neogene dwarf tapir, Tapirus polkensis (Olsen)". Journal of Paleontology. 83 (2): 238–262. doi:10.1666/08-062.1.
^ DeSantis, Larisa R.G.; Wallace, Steven C. (27 August 2008). "Neogene forests from the Appalachians of Tennessee, USA: Geochemical evidence from fossil mammal teeth". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 266 (1–2): 59–68. Bibcode:2008PPP...266...59D. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2008.03.032. Retrieved 11 January 2025 – via Elsevier Science Direct.
^ DeSantis, Larisa R. G.; Sharp, Alana C.; Schubert, Blaine W.; Colbert, Matthew W.; Wallace, Steven C.; Grine, Frederick E. (1 June 2020). "Clarifying relationships between cranial form and function in tapirs, with implications for the dietary ecology of early hominins". Scientific Reports. 10 (1) 8809. Bibcode:2020NatSR..10.8809D. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-65586-w. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 7264299. PMID 32483196.

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[Hulbert-1] Richard C. Hulbert Jr.; Steven C. Wallace; Walter E. Klippel & Paul W. Parmalee (2009). "Cranial morphology and systematics of an extraordinary sample of the Late Neogene dwarf tapir, Tapirus polkensis (Olsen)". Journal of Paleontology. 83 (2): 238–262. doi:10.1666/08-062.1.

[2] DeSantis, Larisa R.G.; Wallace, Steven C. (27 August 2008). "Neogene forests from the Appalachians of Tennessee, USA: Geochemical evidence from fossil mammal teeth". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 266 (1–2): 59–68. Bibcode:2008PPP...266...59D. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2008.03.032. Retrieved 11 January 2025 – via Elsevier Science Direct.

[3] DeSantis, Larisa R. G.; Sharp, Alana C.; Schubert, Blaine W.; Colbert, Matthew W.; Wallace, Steven C.; Grine, Frederick E. (1 June 2020). "Clarifying relationships between cranial form and function in tapirs, with implications for the dietary ecology of early hominins". Scientific Reports. 10 (1) 8809. Bibcode:2020NatSR..10.8809D. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-65586-w. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 7264299. PMID 32483196.

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